Conventional clothes hangers typically comprise an integrally formed rigid structure having central portion, a support hook to affix to a rod, a pair of upper members extending in opposite directions from the central portion and, in some cases, a lower transverse member extending between the pair of upper members. Normally, when a lower traverse member extends between the pair of upper members, the upper members extend from the central portion at a slightly downward angle.
Several types of garment hangers are commonly used for hanging clothes. Common hangers include wire hangers, plastic hangers, wood hangers and padded cloth hangers. Hangers are also varied in size. Each of these types and sizes of hangers have both advantages and disadvantages.
Typically, the shoulders of a garment, such as a shirt, coat or jacket, are draped over the upper members of the hanger to suspend the garment from the hanger, which in turn is affixed and suspended from the hanger rod. The garment is generally in an upright orientation so as to reduce the risk of wrinkling or creasing.
A variety of foldable clothes hangers have been proposed in the past which are foldable into a relatively compact unit for storage and transportation, and which may be deployed to form a conventional hanger when needed. Such clothes hangers are typically entirely collapsible and are not intended to support garments or clothes during storage and transportation. As such, they do not provide utility in transporting clothes or garments. For example, when utilizing such collapsible hangers in transit, a user typically removes the desired garments from the hangers, packs the garments in a suitcase, bag or other container, and then folds or collapses the hangers. Thereafter, upon arrival at the desired destination, the user unpacks the hangers, assembles the hangers and suspends the hangers. Then the user individually drapes each garment unpacked from the suitcase, bag or container to its corresponding hanger. This method of transporting clothes and other items from a manufacturer is extremely time consuming and impractical in many instances where the immediate sorting and distribution of packed garments is necessary.